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SUNNY Temp: 70 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Wednesday, July 9, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 6, 2003 In The Pits Driver gets added support during crash By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Gary Fitzsimmons shutters to think of the injuries he might have suffered at the Southern Oregon Speedway on May 17 had he not been wearing a relatively new head and neck restraint called the Hutchins device. Fitzsimmons, the two-time defending points champion in the dwarf car division, hit a rut during hot laps while zipping along at 75 mph in front of the main grandstands. In an instant, Fitzsimmons’ 1934 Ford sedan delivery truck went airborne. It flipped seven times, reaching heights of 12 to 15 feet, and struck the retaining wall in front of the grandstands. Fitzsimmons believes he could have been seriously injured had he not been wearing the Hutchins device. Advertisement "I’m sure I would have gotten a neck injury," he says. "When I hit the wall, I felt my helmet start forward and that Hutchins device grabbed it and supported my neck. "I’m sure that’s the only thing that kept me from going to the hospital that night." The device is attached to a driver’s helmet and hooks to a lap belt on his harness. Fitzsimmons wore the contraption for the first time at a West Coast Dwarf Car Nationals event in Las Vegas last month. "It really doesn’t take long to get used to," Fitzsimmons says. "And one thing I like about it, other than the safety advantage, is that it adds comfort when the track is rough. It supports your head so you can see better." The one drawback is that the device can affect a driver’s peripheral vision, "but you shouldn’t be worrying about anyone except the cars in front of you, anyway," Fitzsimmons says. The apparatus, which came out shortly after Dale Earnhardt was killed during the Daytona 500 in 2001 and is named for Bobby Hutchins, a member of the Richard Childress Racing Team, retails for about $325. Some states now require race car drivers to wear a Hutchins device or its equivalent, but Oregon has yet to pass such a law. "I’m of the opinion that you can’t wear too much safety when you’re out there racing," says Fitzsimmons, who also wears arm restraints and nets in his windows to make sure his arms stay in his vehicle at all times. Fitzsimmons’ spectacular crash left him temporarily shaken, but it didn’t take him long to recover. He got behind the wheel of his backup car and drove it to second place in the main event. Fitzsimmons won the feature event last Saturday when he was back in his No. 1 car. The Golden State Challenge sprint car race on June 17 at the Southern Oregon Speedway will feature some big names and fast cars. Drivers expected to compete in the 410 race include Brent Kaeding, a 26-year veteran who has won nine Golden State Series championships and 13 Northern Auto Racing Club titles in California, former World of Outlaws winner Sammy Swindell and Kasey Kahne, a former Northern Sprint Tour driver who is now racing in the Winston-NASCAR Busch Series. Kahne, from Eminclaw, Wash., finished eighth in last week’s MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 at Dover International Speedway. He is currently eighth in points and has $326,135 in earnings this year. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times